Automatic weigher.



Patented. out. 3, |899.

ry. c. sTucKEL. UTUMATIC WEIGHEB.

(Application med Juiy a1, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

`en Model.)

Patented Oct. 3, |899. F. C. STUCKEL.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHER.

(Application led July 81, 189B.)

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Patented Oct. 3, |899. F. C. ,STUCKEL AUTOMATIC WEIGHEB.

(Application and July s1, 1899,)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. STUCKEL, OF RACINE, VISGUNSIN, ASSIGNOR lO THE J. l. ('ASE THRESHING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,375, dated October 3,'1899.

Application filed July 3l, 1899. Serial No, 725,563. (No model To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. STUGKEL, a resident of the city and county of Racine, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain 5 new and useful Improvements in Automatic Veighers, of which the following is hereby declared to be a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to apparatus espero cially suited for weighing wheat, clover, or other granular material, the design being to provide, as in earlier devices of this sort, an open bucket or receiver pivotally hung in counterpoise like a steelyard. Successive i5 charges freely flow into the open mouth of the bucket; but when the load attains a given weight the bucket overbalances and slightly shifts, releasing thereby the intermediate mechanism, which promptly shuts off anyfur- 2o ther iniiow and opens the bucket-bottom to let the load fall. As the bucket rises again under inliuence of its counterpoise the weighed load has dropped out, the bucket-bottom closes, and the shut-off gate no longer ob- Structs the entry of the next succeeding charge.

The present improvements are directed to the intermediate mechanism coacting with the counterpoised bucket for automatically 3o admitting, weighing, and discharging separate portions of material.

The exact nature of the invention will appear in detail from the description following` and be pointed out by the claims at its conclusion.

On the drawings like parts bear like designation throughout.

Figure lis a side view showing the weigherbucket at normal position suspended in counterpoise beneath the outlet-spout of a threshing-machine elevator; Fig. l, a detail plan at the fulcrum-mounts for the weigher-bucket. Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 2 is a plan; Fig. 3, a detail longitudinal section view of the master-shaft and its adjuncts; Fig. 3a, a detail longitudinal seetion view of the bucket and elevator-spout; Fig. 3b, a perspective view of the worm-pinion on the master-shaft; Fig. 3C, a perspective 5o view of the bearing-plate for the cross-axle and worm-pinion.

The elevator-tubes A fasten above to head 102, having removable crown 103 for ready access and side outletspout 101i through which the grain escapes. The upper sprocket for the elevator-chain is supported as usual on cross-axle D, Fig. l, which journals in slotted bearing-plates D2, Figs. l and 3, adjustably secured by bolts at opposite sides of head 102. On shifting plates D?, by aid of set- 6o screws D3, the slack in the elevator-chain is taken up or modified. Cross-axle D is constantly driven through the medium. of a chainwheel at its outer terminal or by other snitable means and carries the worm-wheel E, which always revolves with the axle.

Extended lengthwise near the top of the elevator is the master-shaft G, mounted in bearings H at the plates D2, Figs. l and 3C, and in lower bearings H', secured to elevator- 7o tube A. United by spline or like joint to the shaft G is a mutilated worm-pinion E, meshing at intervals with worm-wheel E on cross-axle D. Pinion E is received between the upper bearings Il for the master-shaft 75 and has a suitable delay-surface thereon of width suiiicient to allow worin-wheel E to clear and revolve without affecting pinion F, which latter remains at a standstill unless it be first shifted slightly to rengage. Se

lVeighing-bucket B is hung beneath the outlet-spout 10i by means of the cross-yoke I), fulcrumed, as usual, at d to the opposite edges of the spout and furnished on one side with the graduated scale-beam c. Side bails c @2, fastened to the bucket, afford fulerumseats e for pivotally suspending the bucket 'from cross-yoke l), A valve 72., curved to conform to the bucket sides, is sustained by hangers t/ at pivots 7b2 and serves to close the 9o open bottom of the bucket. The valve is slightly overhung with reference to pivots h2, so that it tends always to swing shut into contact with stop h3, thus keeping the bucketbottom closed even against the weight of the accumulating load.

Resting over a pin z', carried by one of the hangers 7L, is a slotted pitman k, which at its opposite end is pivotally joined by bolt or like fastener to the radius-arm J, secured at roo the lower terminal of master-shaft G. lVhen said shaft begins to revolve, radius-arm .l shifts pitman k, but owing to the slot therein pin 'e' remains unaffected until the lost motion is taken up. Thereupon the pit-man pushes against pin i, thus swinging hanger 71, and with it the Valve 7L to unelose the bucket-bottom and discharge the load. At such juncture shaft G, with radius-arm J, has described about a one-half revolution. During the further traverse radius-arm J gradually restores pitman 7c to normal position, the hanger 7r/ at pin t' bearing against the slot end of the pitman and retreating with it by reason of the overhung weight of valve 7L. rlhe valve is finally checked by stop 71,3, completely shutting the bucket-bottom,while the pitman proceeds for a slight distance farther, denoted by the length of its slot, and then comes temporarily at rest to await the discharge of the next load.

At its uppel end the longitudinal mastershaft G carries the radius-arm I, united by simple chain O or other flexible connection with the bell-crank terminal in of the yokelike gate 7.1', pivoted, as at Z, on the sides of the elevator-head and serving at intervals to close the exit-spout for the grain. Gate 7,5 is made sufficiently heavy not only to shift terminal in and take up the slack in chain O, but also to impart through the chain a slight initial movement at intervals to radius-arm I, and in consequence to master-shaft G, if permitted. Ordinarily a dog or stop-block f, carried by the master-shaft near its midlength, Figs. l and 3, encounters a trip f, projected, as shown, vfrom bucket B, and retains the shaft at a standstill despite the weight of spout-gate 7s. Once the bucket is loaded it promptly overbalances the scale-beam and turns down far enough about fulcra f7 for trip f to clear stop-block g. Master-shaft G thus stands released and experiences a minor impulse forward due to the weight of gate 7n', imparted through terminal m and chain O to radius-arm I. Simultaneously gate 7.: begins to lower and will persist in its course to the extent permitted by the slack of chain O. Owing to the difference in radius, reckoned from common center 7,the gate 7; will describe quite a long path while terminal m is moving over a comparatively slight distance. A meager shift of the terminal suffices to bring gate 7s at rest across the spout 104, shutting off any further inflow of grain to the bucket. The minor impulse forward experienced by master-shaft G through gate 7t-l suflices to turn pinion F until its initial tooth encounters the rapidly-rotating worm E. The two parts are at once in mesh, and shaft G thereupon proceeds to describe asingle revolution. At the outset of its movement shaft G completes the lowering of gate 7;'. Chain O remains slack for perhaps one-half revolution of shaft G, and when it finally hauls taut the chain begins to raise the gate 7o', say, during the last quarter-turn of the shaft. At such stage the pitman 7.: has not only opened the bucket-bottom, but is proceeding to close it again. The movements of the spout-gate and the bucket-bottom are readily timed and besides are very rapid, so that practically the bucket receives no late excess and loses no premature surplus grain. l/Vhen the bottom valve 7L begins to open, the bucket-weight is at once lessened and the counterpoise proceeds to lift the bucket to normal position. This movement restores tripf to the path of stop g, which stop it promptly encounters at the end of the single revolution of shaft G. The delay-surface of pinion F enables said pinion to disengage from worm-wheel E,while the encounter of stopsfg at once brings shaft G to a standstill. A pintle 200 on the upper face of tripf plays through a hole in guideplate 201, secured to the elevator-head. The pintle 200 coacts with link 202, extended bctween the bucket and the elevator-tube to prevent the bucket from swaying as it moves up and down.

Radius-arms I .l at opposite ends of the master-shaft are offset in angular relation to each other with reference to the shaftaxis, arm I being given a slight leach so that it clears the dead-point just before the rotation of the shaft is arrested. In such position the arm promptly responds to the influence of the weight of gate 71; at the beginning of the next turn. A tally of any convenient type attaches to elevator-tube A, and by its end wheel may engage a worm L, splincd to revolve with shaft G.

Cooperating with the cross-axle for the uppetI sprocket of the elevator, the use of thc master-shaft G extended lengthwise,as shown, enables said shaft to directly control both the spout-gate above and the bucket-valve below. The stop-block is carried by the shaft to encounter the trip projected from the bucket while the tally is in immediate connection with the actuating worm-wheel at the Shaft. Compactness and simplicity of organization are thus assured. The Vertical position of the master-shaft allows for quick readj ustment of the elevator-chain, the shift of cross` axle D for such purpose being effected by means of the bracket-plates D2. The splinejoint between master-shaft G and pinion F permits the readjustment to occur without disengaging the pinion from its worm-wheel E. The offset relation of cross-axle D and master-shaft F, due to the use of the wormgear, enables the power-pulley to be applied at either end of axle D-that is, the terminal of axle D can be carried past the wormgear without interference and the machine be fitted to the body of the separator at right or left hand side, as desired.

Obviously the details of structure can be varied according to the mechanics skill without departure from the essentials of the improvenient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In automatic weighers, the combination with the outlet-spout and its control-gate at the elevator-head, of the weighcr-buckct hun IOO IIO

IZO

in eounterpoise beneath said spout and havl the buelIet-diseharge respectively, suitable ing a valved bottom thereon, the upper Crossaxle for the endless belt earried upon the elevator-easing and furnished with an Outer Worm Wheel, the mastershaft extended lengthwise outside Of the elevator in angular relation to the Cross-axle and provided with upper and lower connections leading the'nee to the spout-gate and to the bucket-valve respeetively, the mutilated Worin-pinion mounted upon the master-shaft and driven intermittently from said worm-Wheel, suitable means for giving an initial partial rotation to the master-shaft, a trip-Off at the bueket and a stop on said shaft governed thereby, substantially as described.

2. In automatic Weighers, the combination with the outlet-spout and its control-gate at the elevator-head, of the Weigher--bueket hung in eounterpoise beneath said spout and having a valved bottom thereon, the upper crossaxle for the endless belt carried in side bearing-plates and furnished with an Outer gear- Wheel, the master-shaft sustained lengthwise of the elevator having a pinion thereon earmeans for giving an initial partial rotation 'to the master-shaft, a ltrip-Off at the bucket and a stop on the master-shaft Controlled thereby, substantially as deseribed.

3. In automatic Weighers, the combination .j with the outlet-spout and its control-gate at the eleva tor-head, ofthe weigher-bueket hung ineounterpose beneath said spout and having a valved bottom thereon, the upper erossaxle for the endless belt carried upon the elevatOr-easing and furnished with an Outer gear-Wheel, the master-shaft extended length- 5 wise Outside of the elevator in angular relal suitable means forgiving an initial partial g rotation to the master-shaft, a trip-olf at the bueket and a stop on said shaft governed -f thereby, substantially as described.

ried by the bearing-plate of the Cross-axle and intermittently engaging the gear-Wheel thereof, proper connections extended from the master-shaft tO govern the spout-gate and FRANK O. STUCKEL. Witnesses:

RIoI-IAED T. ROBINSON, FREDERICK LEE NORTON. 

